OVERVIEW
Latvia is situated on the Baltic coast and borders Estonia in the north, Lithuania in the south, the Russian Federation in the east and Belarus in the southeast. The coastal plain is mostly flat but, inland to the east, the land is hilly with forests and lakes. There are about 12,000 rivers in Latvia, the biggest being the River Daugava. The ports of Riga, Liepaja and Ventspils often freeze over during the winter.
Social Conventions
Handshaking is customary. Normal courtesies should be observed. The Latvians are somewhat reserved and formal, but nevertheless very hospitable. They are proud of their culture and visitors should take care to respect this sense of national identity.
Tipping
Taxi fares and restaurant bills usually include a tip. It is customary to give a little extra for good service.
International Travel:
Air
Airlines serving Riga are Aeroflot, Air Baltic , Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Czech Airlines, Finnair, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Malev Hungarian and SAS.
Approximate flight times
From Riga to Frankfurt/M is two hours 10 minutes, to London is two hours 30 minutes, and to New York is approximately 14 hours (via Helsinki).
International airports
Riga (RIX) (Spilve) is 8km (5 miles) from the city. Bus no. 22 runs every 20 to 30 minutes to the city center (0545-2240), costing LVL 0.20 (travel time - 30 minutes). An express bus service goes to various hotels in the city upon request. Taxis are also available, costing LVL 0.35 (travel time – 15 minutes). Airport facilities include duty free shop, car hire (Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, National and Sixt), restaurant, bar/cafe and post office.
There is an international airport at Liepaja (LPX), with flights to Copenhagen and Moscow.
Departure tax
None.
Sea
There are ferry connections from Riga to Stockholm with Monolines (travel time – 18 hours). There are direct ferries from Travemunde in Germany and Stockholm in Sweden. There are also connections from Liepaja to Rostock and to Karlshamm in Sweden. Several shipping lines run cruises on the Baltic Sea calling at Riga.
Rail
Latvia has links with Belarus, the Russian Federation, Estonia to the north, and Lithuania to the south. The main route into Western Europe runs from Riga to Berlin via Warsaw and Vilnius.
Road
The road network is relatively well developed and there are good routes through to Belarus and to the neighboring two Baltic Republics. Entry by car is possible from the Russian Federation, Estonia, Belarus or Lithuania. Border posts between Poland and Lithuania: Ogrodniki–Lazdijai; between Poland and Belarus: Terespol–Brest. Recent changes in Eastern Europe have opened a new highway through the Baltic countries, known as the Via Baltica. To drive along the Via Baltica is to discover places that were closed to Western tourists for decades. Services along this highly attractive route are improving all the time. Both the road network and signposting are being modernized; the service station network is represented by both local and foreign companies (many of which are open 24 hours). Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves destinations in Latvia. For further information, contact Eurolines (website: www.eurolines.com or www.gobycoach.com).
The following goods may be imported into Latvia without incurring customs duty by travelers aged 18 years or older:
200 cigarettes or 20 cigars or 200g of tobacco; 1l of alcoholic beverages in their original packaging, up to 2l of wine and 5l of beer; up to 1kg of coffee; up to Ls15 of food or foodstuff with equal designation up to a maximum of three pieces; up to Ls150 of new goods.
Prohibited items
Narcotics; guns and ammunition (without a police import permit).
Note
(a) It is advisable to declare expensive items such as jewelry and furs. (b) A certificate must be obtained from the Latvian authorities in order to export pieces of art over 50 years old.
Abolition of duty free goods within the EU
On June 30 1999, the sale of duty free alcohol and tobacco at airports and at sea was abolished in all of the original 15 EU member states. Of the 10 new member states that joined the EU on May 1 2004, these rules already apply to Cyprus and Malta. There are transitional rules in place for visitors returning to one of the original 15 EU countries from one of the other new EU countries. But for the original 15, plus Cyprus and Malta, there are now no limits imposed on importing tobacco and alcohol products from one EU country to another (with the exceptions of Denmark, Finland and Sweden, where limits are imposed). Travelers should note that they may be required to prove at customs that the goods purchased are for personal use only.
Internal Travel:
Rail
Latvia’s reasonably well-developed rail network includes routes from Riga to all other major towns in the country. The railway terminal is at Stacijas laukums. For information about trains, contact LDZ (tel: 723 4940 or 4208; fax: 782 0231; e-mail: info@ldz.lv or webmaster@ldz.lv; website: www.ldz.lv).
Road
There are reasonable connections to all parts of the country from Riga. Traffic drives on the right. Bus: A better form of transport than trains in Latvia. The Central Bus Station is at Pragas iela 1. Car hire: Available through hotels and directly from car hire companies, reservations are recommended. Drivers can also be hired. Traffic regulations: Seat belts must be worn. Speed limits on country lanes are 90kph (56mph) and 50kph (32mph) in cities. It is compulsory to drive with headlights on 24 hours a day all year round. The consumption of alcohol by drivers is strictly forbidden as is the use of mobile telephones while driving. Documentation: European nationals should be in possession of an EU pink format license, otherwise an International Driving Permit is required.
Urban
Public transport in Riga runs from 0530-0000. Taxis in Riga are cheap, but prices are rising. All taxis are now privately run and all have meters. There is a 50 per cent surcharge at night. All parts of the city can also be reached by bus, tram and trolleybus. Tickets should be bought on board from the conductor and retained for inspection. Share-taxis (taksobussi) also operate but are slightly more expensive than ordinary buses. Fines for fare dodging are common.
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